Nothingness : Origin of the Universe

From where all this matter in the Universe manifested? 

From where the Universe came into existence?

From where the earth ,the sentient beings and everything came ? 

Was there" something "   before the Universe  exist or was  there only 

" nothingness " from which universe spring out ? 

These questions have been asked in the 

" Nasidiya sukta " of the " Rig Veda " ,which dates back more than 5000 years .

Buddhism ( especially Mahayana ) or more specifically " Madhyamik Sunyavaad " proposes a theory of " Nothingness " and the preacher of this theory are named as the  "Sunnyvaadi"  ( believer in nothingness ). 

The theory says that everything in the Universe and the Universe itself came out of "Nothing " . 

          Symbol of " nothing " in Buddhism 

Sunyavaad proposes that  " Even before the universe was created ,there was nothing and this nothingness is the fundamental reality of Universe and after destruction of the universe everything will dissolved back in the nothingness " . 

 "Sunnyavaadi"  propose that the Universe is nothing and hence empty . The reality which we perceive is empty .

 

This theory is proposed by Nagarjuna ,a practitioner of Mahayana Buddhism ,who was pioneer of Buddhism after Gautam Buddha and often Buddhists called Nagarjuna as "  second Buddha " . 

Nagarjuna in his " Madhyamik Sunyavaad " 

(Theory of Nothingness) showed with logic that this Universe is neither created nor will be destroyed and the reality is empty . 

The word " Sunya " does not suggest the idea of " zero" rather suggests the idea of                " emptiness" . 

         Universe created from" nothingness"

This "emptiness "can be experienced also at individual levels by practicing meditation . 

 Mahayana Buddhists says that there is no cosmic  consciousness or " Brahman " ,which permeates the entire existence rather there is only  nothingness  or emptiness . 

So , Advait Vedanta ( Nondual Vedanta) stands against this theory of nothingness. 

But a question still arises in the minds of spiritual seekers that " if there was nothing before the Universe came into existence,then how nothing became something ? " 

" How from nothing ,something i.e the universe did produce?" 

" How from Asat ( nothing) ,sat ( existence) is produced ?" 

We know that there is one law of "causality" which violation is very similar to the violation of  the 1st law of thermodynamics . 

The law of causality says " From nothing only nothing can be produced  ,and  something can not come out from nothing."

Also  first law of thermodynamics says that 

" Energy is not created nor can be destroyed ,it can only change form from one to another". This also shows the energy - conservation in the physical world . 

Hence if we  take consideration of both the laws of causality  and thermodynamics we can conclude that it is highly unlikely that universe came out from nothingness. 

The Hindu cosmology of "Sankhya" philosophy, of Marashi kapila says exactly the opposite of Mahayana Buddhism and the Madhyamik Sunyavaad . 

Sankhya philosophy suggests that - 

" Every force and motion in Universe came out of finer particles and Universe and its gross matter came from pre- existing finer state ,or causal state which is called    as          " prakriti " . " 

Hindu cosmology says all motion in the Universe at their causal state becomes finer and finer and creates matter when it's become gross by creating vibration or oscillation on"Akasha" ( Ether ) which is the most subtle state of space element and the vibrations which creates matter or particle  ( padarth) are known as " prana " . 

Hence ,From the perspective  of Hindu cosmology, Universe stays in its causal form 

( Prakriti Avastha) before it becomes gross and creates matter and physical existence. 

But in Hindu cosmology also there comes a state of energy ,which is beyond the comprehension and understanding of human intellect and can not be perceived through ant means ,because at this state the vibrations of prana becomes very subtle ,this state is called as " Avyakta Avastha " . 

Avyakta Avastha means " the state of inactiveness or state of potentiality " which typically translates as " unexpressed state " . 

This state is not " nothingness " but a state of "absolute potentiality" . 

Hence , in Tantra also "shakti " or "sum total 

energy if the universe " is called as 

" Para -prakriti " (  state beyond the perception of  Universe).  

Hindu cosmology ,or Sankhya says that all forces and forms of energy again resolves back to its causal state ,which we know as     " destruction" in our colloquial language.